GouRetsu: The Bromance Series
by xXxMoonlightLilyxXx
Summary: A series dedicated to the bromance of Gou and Retsu. Please read and review! Thank you!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**** First off, thank you so much for the support, with my stories, so far everyone! It means a lot! **** So I just finished watching Juken Sentai Gekiranger a week ago, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe not my favorite Sentai, when compared to Engine Sentai Go-onger or Mahou Sentai Magiranger, but it would definitely make my top 5 list (if I had one haha!). I thought the season was better executed with the whole beast spirits and martial arts connection, then its counterpart Power Rangers Jungle Fury. Although, I don't hate the counterpart either, it's… okay. However, one issue I did have with Gekiranger was the fact that the bromance between Gou and Retsu was barely touched. There were so many things the writers could've done with them, since they were separated for ten years, Retsu thought Gou was dead, Gou was a wondering werewolf all that time, then they were finally reunited, blah blah blah, but no. There was such little development in their relationship, and that really disappointed me. So, I will write some bromance stories about them, to cheer myself up, and anybody else that feels the same way as me. This one will be my first!**

** This short story would've taken place after Gou became GekiViolet. He still has the werewolf problems, but hey, we all know how that turns out. Basically, Gou is at the Gekiranger's headquarters, since he is now a part of the team, and is just hanging around. Retsu walks in and thus the plot begins! The idea behind this is that although it was pretty well established that Retsu became a man while Gou was gone, and Gou had to learn to accept that (which I do support). However, I can't help but think that Retsu still has soft side to him. Specifically, towards his older brother, perhaps; the soft side that sometimes would require big brother to comfort him. Retsu has grown up, but he is still the younger brother. I personally think Retsu missed Gou's comfort and having his Nii-san by his side after all those years, and not being able to grow up with him (okay duh!). So, that sort of idea is what I tried to accomplish with this. A simple approach with a lot of heart. Hope you enjoy! Please read and review! Thank you! **

** **Also, I am considering taking requests! This is going to be a continued tradition, the "Bromance" series! So, if you have any ideas, following along the lines of any of the "pairings" I support, please message me. I will let you know if I would be interested in writing them! **

** Now enough of my yacking, on to the story!**

Bromance 1: Nii-san's Embrace

Gou stood upon the ledge of the Gekiranger Headquarters, staring out at the glowing lights of the grand city below. The fresh eastern wind blew across his face as the newly recruited GekiViolet ranger tried to settle his mind, after all that had happened so far.

It had only been a few days since Gou had entered the city. When he arrived he was a violent, reckless beast mindlessly roaming the cement landscape, but; after transforming back into a human being the older man was hammered with reality. Ever since his last confrontation with Rio, and becoming a werewolf, time had still moved forward. His innocent little brother Retsu had become a man. Once he was a young boy who flinched at the sight of danger, and painted beautiful pictures. However, somewhere between their last talk in their old church, and his arrival now, Retsu had grown up. He became a marvelous painter, learned to gain self-confidence within himself, and came in contact with GekiJuKen. Thus, transforming him into a defender of the earth, GekiBlue. He had made all these miraculous accomplishments without his Nii-san by his side.

Gou honestly didn't know how to take all this. He didn't know whether to be happy that his younger brother had grown up to be such a fine man without him, or not. It felt as if Gou never played a role in his younger brother's life. If the older man hadn't been beaten by Rio, hadn't turned into a werewolf, and grew up alongside his brother, would Retsu have turned out the same? Or not? Or better? Or even worse?

These questions boggled the Violet Ranger's mind, and thus; caused him to wound up upon the rooftop of the building. Trying to clear his mind, and set it at ease, while he had the chance. Because, as if worrying about the changes his little brother had experienced while he was gone wasn't enough, becoming the new GekiViolet ranger wasn't helping either. In fact, it only complicated things more. Now he was _fighting_ alongside his little brother… fighting… something that Gou had hoped Retsu never came in contact with, but did.

"Maitaze, why are things so complicated," Gou sighed as he gently bumped his fist upon his head in annoyance.

"Retsu, little brother, how did this all happen? Me battling between being a werewolf and a human being, you a grown man taking on society all on your own and us… now defenders of justice as Gekirangers."

The Violet ranger clenched his fists in frustration and punched them together, as he glared out at the glowing scene before him. The wind releasing another gentle breeze, as if trying to coax the older man back into a calm sense of mind again. Gou closed his eyes and let the breeze try to relax his body and blow his frustration away.

As the older man tried to resettle his mind, the sound of a small creaking of the nearby door echoed across the night.

"Nii-san?"

Gou opened his eyes in shock and let out a discontent sigh.

"Maitaze," the Violet ranger groaned. How his younger brother found him, in the position that he was in, was just another question added to his already throbbing mind. _'I am not in the mood for this.'_ He thought. Gou kept his gaze upon the glowing city as he replied to the young man behind him.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" He asked.

"I could be asking you the same question," The Blue ranger replied, "what are you doing out here? It's one in the morning."

'_Perhaps if I keep this conversation simple he will go to bed.' _Gou thought.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"That makes sense. It is your first night spent in Gekiranger Headquarters."

"Ah… you?"

"Same, I guess."

Silence fell between the two as another gust of wind blew across the sky.

"Nii-san… are you okay?"

Gou was a little taken aback by the sudden question, but answered nonetheless.

"Never better."

"Are you sure?" Retsu paused. "I mean, we both know that you're still… a werewolf, and I just wanted to know how you were feeling."

The Violet ranger sighed.

"I'm fine Retsu. No savage beast is going to control me. I am a fighter with an iron will. Remember?"

"Right, since you're one of us now you'll probably be able to fight it off better than before…" The young Blue Ranger paused again. Gou sighed as he started to become bothered by his brother's constant pausing.

'_This is dragging on way to long. Better send him back to bed before this goes any farther.' _

Just as the older man was about to break his gaze from the scene before him, to send the younger one back to his quarters, Retsu quietly spoke again. So softly, that Gou almost missed it.

"… and not leave me again…"

For the first time, Gou completely turned around and looked at the sight of Retsu staring down at the ground with his shoulders slouched. His hands clutching his blue pajamas, but what took the Violet ranger more off guard was that Retsu was… shaking… ever so slightly, but enough to notice if one were to look close enough.

"Nani?" Was all the older man could say, as he dropped down from his perch.

Retsu's head jerked up in shock. Gou then considered that perhaps his brother hadn't planned on him hearing that part, but nonetheless; it was too late to take it back now. And, Gou intended on looking into it. As the he started walking towards the younger one, Retsu started to back away. For a second, the Violet ranger thought that he would run away, since every time he tried to close the distance between them the young Blue ranger would only recreate it. However, the older man saw the wall that Retsu had unconsciously been edging closer and closer to. Until, suddenly, the nervous blue Ranger hit the concrete structure, thus; eliminating his chances of escaping his brother.

Gou continued walking until he was standing right in front of Retsu. Once he stopped he looked down upon the frail... and… frightened form of his younger brother. The shaking was much more noticeable now, the younger one's hands had moved from clutching his pants to clutching his shirt, and his eyes had returned to the cement pavement below.

"Retsu," Gou finally spoke. The said ranger flinched, _flinched_ at the sound of his voice. This concerned the older man, because after seeing how much Retsu had grown up, to see him flinch only made the said topic that much more urgent for him to hear.

Retsu, kept his gaze upon the ground, but released a shaky breath before he spoke.

"And not… leave me… again…" he stuttered. Gou nodded and gave the younger one time before he continued.

"I know I said that I've grown up a lot since you've been gone, and how I've become more of a man," he started, "but that doesn't mean that I didn't miss you all those years, and not having you there for me."

Gou gasped at his younger brother's words. _'What?' _

"Ten years Gou, ten years I had to live my life without you. All that time I thought you were dead, brutally murdered by Rio, never to return. I had to endure countless painful experiences on my own, both mentally and physically. Overtime, I became more immune to them as I started to learn how to handle them more. To the point where they were as nonexistent as you. However, even though I managed myself without you for this long, I … I missed you."

Suddenly, a sob broke from the young Blue ranger and Gou was too shocked to even know how to respond to this sudden emotional release. Retsu looked up at the older man, tears leaking from his chocolate brown eyes, as he continued to speak.

"I missed you so much. You were the only family I had left, Nii-san. I felt so alone without you. Like nobody was there for me anymore. Nobody to stand by my side, to watch my back, or support me when situations got tough. You were my everything, and you just disappeared into thin air, and now you're back but it's like I don't even know you anymore. After everything that's happened so far, I'm just so lost. You've come back, but as a werewolf, and now you're a Gekiranger. I'm so grateful to have you back. To know that you weren't murdered by Rio, but now you're going through all this.

When you arrived, I was so happy and was eager to have you become a Gekiranger with me and the others, so that we could be together again, like before. But I should've realized all the emotional pain you'd been through with being a werewolf, even now. I was selfish, but I was just so happy to see you. After ten years of being all alone, without you Nii-san… Nii-san."

At that point the Blue ranger couldn't continue as his words were swallowed by the harsh sobbing emitting from his frail body. Gou was speechless. He'd never seen Retsu like this before. Not since he was that sweet little boy that made that promise before his unexpected disappearance. This was all the emotional baggage Retsu had been holding since his absence. All the pain he had bottled up, in order to grow up, until now. That bottle has shattered. Gou looked down upon the sobbing young man as a small smile spread across his lips.

"Maitaze, so there is still a bit of that sweet little kid in you," the older man replied as he wrapped his arms around Retsu's shaking form, and pulled him into a strong hug. Retsu leaned into his brother's embrace and continued to sob into his purple leather jacket. The Violet ranger giving no complaints at his soon to be soaked attire. His brother needed him, and that was more than he could ask for. Gou tightened his hold on the younger one, as one hand drew circles in Retsu's back and the other weaved through his soft black hair. Whispering comforting words into the other's ear.

"Shh. It's okay Retsu, it's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I promise."

The older man continued repeating the words until the Blue ranger's sobbing decreased to a few occasional sniffles. Gou peeked down at his brother's face, and noticed his brother smiling into his chest.

"Why are you smiling?" Gou softly asked. Without moving his head, or opening his eyes, Retsu replied.

"It's just been a long time since I've been in your embrace Nii-san."

The Violet ranger smiled down at him, as Retsu buried his face further into the purple leather jacket. Gou lowered his head, and kissed the top of the Blue ranger's forehead.

"It's has been hasn't it, but that's going to change now. We have a lot of catching up to do brother. So, might as well start now."

Retsu looked up at Gou, a warm smile painted across his face, which the older man returned tenfold.

"Now," the Violet ranger began, "how about we get ourselves to bed so that we aren't sleep deprived for Master Shafu's training tomorrow."

The Blue ranger simply nodded as his brother started leading them towards the door.

"And as for tonight, how about you come sleep with me. Just so I don't see you getting up in the middle of the night again." Gou chuckled.

The younger man looked back at him and chuckled.

"Sounds good with me, Nii-san."

Maitaze = man

Nani = what

Nii-san = older brother (but I'm sure everyone would know this one).


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**** This is a continuation of the 'Bromance Series!' I got this idea from watching an episode of Gekiranger. Perhaps you can tell which one, probably not. Anyways, as I was writing this I realized that I was being very cruel to Retsu. My god, I've never been this mean before. It's kind of scary. But, I like how the story turned out. It took a week but now I am officially satisfied. Even if there are multiple typos and a vast array of grammar errors I don't care because right now I am just happy that it is complete. I can loath about those things later. Anyways, let me know what you think of the story! Thank you! **

Retsu's Worst Fear:

It was a calm day at the SCRTC Headquarters. Ran was calmly brushing her hair in front of her favorite tiny, yellow mirror. Ken and Jan were stuffing their mouths with menchikatsu, smiling as the warm dough and scrumptious filling filled their taste buds. Gou was striking a punching bag with furious fists and vicious kicks, but ultimately enjoying the rigorous workout.

Retsu was working on a new painting. It had been awhile since the young man had worked on a piece. Since Rio and Mele had been rather silent for the past few weeks he thought it would be a good chance to catch up on some inspirations that had left on hold. The blue Gekiranger smiled as his brush danced across the canvas, encompassing it in a mix of vibrant, elegant colors. The painting was going to be a peaceful church, adorned with blue, white, and purple flowers. Retsu laughed at himself at one point, when he realized that he was painting his childhood memory of the place that his brother and he always hung around. The flowers were his own personal touch, but the young man was excited to see the final result of the finished piece.

The blue ranger was just starting on the purple violets when Miki-san walked up from behind and silently admired the young man's work.

"That is very beautiful," the kind woman said.

Retsu turned around a released a warm smile at the director's comment.

"Thank you Miki-san," he responded.

"The church is very pretty, and I love the way you are decorating it with flowers," she continued. The blue ranger's smile only grew at the array of compliments he was receiving from the kind woman.

"Thank you," he responded once again.

"What inspired you to create this? I haven't seen something like this from you in a long time."

There was a pause as Retsu glanced at Gou, his brother completely lost in his battle against the punching bag. He smiled before looking back at Miki-san.

"Let's just say it was just some old memories coming back to me," he replied.

The director smiled and nodded at the young man, before she walked away, returning to her place in front of the computer.

The blue Gekiranger released a content sigh before turning back to his painting. As his brush was about to stroke the canvas the alarm sounded. Instantly, everyone turned to Miki-san and Master Shafu, waiting to receive information.

"What is Miki-san," Ran asked eagerly.

"It's a RinJyuDen! It looks like a strong one too. Everyone be careful," the kind woman informed.

Everyone nodded and moved out of the building.

The Gekirangers arrived to the scene of panicked pedestrians and cars and buildings set ablaze. Numerous people were lying on the ground, clutching their bodies and groaning in agony. Retsu ran up to an old woman.

"Are you okay?" The young man asked.

The woman weakly shook her head as she clutched her chest. Her face was pale and beads of sweat were running down her forehead. Her breaths were short and strained and her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Retsu gently grabbed the panicked pedestrian's shoulder, to try and provide some sort of comfort towards the situation.

"Don't worry everything will be fine," he said before he took off in the direction of the others. The blue ranger looked back as the paramedics started to arrive and load people into the emergency vehicles. Once he approached the others the he quickly informed them on what he gathered.

"These people are in serious pain," Retsu informed.

"This RinJyuDen did something to them, but what?" Ran asked.

"Maybe they all ate too much menchikatsu!" The white ranger implied.

Everyone stared at the laid back man with cold, emotionless eyes.

"What?" He asked.

"Well, what ever happened we are going to put a stop to it," the Gou replied.

"Right," everyone agreed.

"Alright! Let's go!" Jan cheered determinedly as another explosion ignited nearby. The team looked at each other as they ran towards the source of the attack.

Once they arrived an explosion ignited behind them and threw everyone off their feet. Retsu landed hard on the ground and took a moment to catch his breath as he looked up towards the source of the attack. There was a dark, black figure looming behind the smoke from one of the nearby fires. The figure just stood there, motionless and completely concealed by the ashes. It was impossible to depict who or what is was. Then, it began to approach the group.

Once the young man's eyes focused upon the approaching figure he felt his heart clench within his chest. As everyone got up, the blue Gekiranger quickly followed suit but couldn't tear his eyes away from the beast in front of him. The creature emerged from the smoke and released a demonic laugh.

"You must be the Gekirangers! Ha! Took you long enough to show up! I already buzzed through half the city by the time you arrived," the creature yelled.

"So, you are responsible for all those people suffering!?" Ken called out.

"Yes! Do you like my little present? Haha! My RinJyu Bee-ken will zip-zip-zip you off your feet you freaks!"

"Freaks?" Ran replied, with an annoyed tone tainting her voice.

The bee creature laughed, causing the team to snap.

"You are going to pay for hurting those people," Jan screamed, "Everyone, let's go!"

"Right!"

Everyone threw their hands out in front of them. They screamed their valiant cries as they prepared to transform into their ranger form.

"Tagire! Power of the Beast!" Ran and Jan cried.

"Hibiki! Beast Howl!" Gou screamed.

"Togisumase! Blade of the Beast!" Ken yelled.

"Beast on!"

A flash of light encompassed the warriors, and the bee creature cringed as the brightness blinded him. Jan and Ran grabbed their Super GekiClaws and ignited their ultimate mode before the transformation came to a close. As the bright light dimmed down the RinJyuDen beast looked up at the opposing side.

"This body swells with infinite energy! Unbreakable body! Super Geki Red!"

"With daily purification polishing the heart! Honest heart! Super Geki Yellow!"

"Excitement, my style, to the limit of my will! Iron Will! GekiViolet!

"Polishing the talent! I cut open my future! Amazing ability! GekiChopper!"

"This blazing Geki is proof of justice! Juken Sentai Gekiranger!"

Jan released an enthusiastic scream as his Geki aura glowed furiously behind him in determination. Ran started rapidly punching at the air, as her heart rate increased from the thrill of the fight. Ken stomped his foot upon the ground as he eyed the beast through his helmet. Gou cracked his knuckles as he planned numerous painful attacks to inflict upon the beast.

While the rest of the team was getting pumped, Retsu only continued to stare at the creature. The young man felt as though the blood in his veins had frozen, preventing him from moving a single muscle. His body felt tense and his palms began to sweat uncontrollably. The situation was becoming too much. The blue Gekiranger didn't even notice the other's transformation and roll call, as he was too lost in his own self-consuming fear.

Soon, the others realized that one ranger was missing from their team. Gou looked over and noticed, for the first time, the young man standing frozen beside them. Retsu was still unhenshined and not moving.

"Retsu!" The older brother yelled sternly.

The young man jumped at the unexpected noise that pounded through his head. He looked at his older brother and noticed that everyone else was already set for battle.

"Retsu!" His brother yelled again, only this time with a hint of concern, rather than anger, filled within his tone.

"Yes! S-Sorry! I wasn't paying attention. My bad," Retsu replied rapidly.

Gou gained a frown upon his face, behind his purple helmet, as he stared at his younger brother. Retsu being unfocused was completely out of his nature. This unexpected action only concerned the older brother.

"G-Go ahead everyone. I'll catch up," the blue ranger insisted.

Everyone nodded and ran off towards the beast. However, the violet ranger stopped and looked back at Retsu, as everyone else advanced towards the fight.

"Go ahead, Nii-san. I'll be right behind you," Retsu assured.

Gou knew his little brother was hiding something from him and he did not like it one bit. However, now wasn't the time to look into the situation. That would have to wait till later. The older man only nodded and started sprinting towards the bee creature. Retsu took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. He looked towards the fight and mentally slapped himself before he threw his fists out in front of him.

"Tagire! Power of the Beast! Beast On!"

Once Retsu was equipped in his blue suit he activated his Super Beast form, and ran towards the battle, his heart pounding and his mind protesting all the way.

Retsu wished the battle had never happened. More importantly, he wished this particular RinJyuDen never existed. The young man hated bees. He hated them more than anything. This humiliating phobia didn't always exist, but due to an excessive amount of encounters with the little buzzing demons when he was young, he now was stuck with the embarrassing fear.

When he was just a kid, Retsu was loved to draw, especially flowers. He could sit for hours drawing daisies, violets, tulips, roses, every flower imaginable until his blank sheet of paper would transform into a flourishing meadow. Unfortunately, bees always landed on his works of art and scared him. All he wanted to do was to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of making a masterpiece, but no, a tiny little bee always had to intervene. The constant buzzing, the giant black eyes, the menacing stinger that stuck out of the creature, all of it scared him, but what scared him the most was being stung. The idea of a sharp, venom filled dagger piercing into his skin and injecting his body with the painful toxins always left him trembling.

Nobody knew about his fear. Not even Gou. Retsu was afraid of so many things as a child it was probably impossible for his brother to even pinpoint this single fear. This explained why the violet Gekiranger was so lost at the young man's actions today. Ten years Gou had to catch up with Retsu and his changes, and the blue ranger had been trying to help him all the way, but one thing that he definitely wouldn't tell Gou was this fear of bees. It made him feel weak and it was a burden to the mission. Plus, Gou didn't need to know about such a small piece of information compared to the grander, and more concerning situation.

Retsu finished bandaging up his arm as he glanced around at the others. Everyone had taken quite a beating from the RinJyuDen. Jan broke a few ribs, Ran received a concussion, Ken got a nasty burn on his leg, and Gou got a cut on his head.

However, Retsu suffered the most damage with a cut on his arm, a small burn on his leg, and a nasty bruise on his chest. It wasn't anything serious, but still it was humiliating that he got the most damage out of everyone. The young man sighed because he knew these injuries were because of his stupid phobia.

The paralyzing fear destroyed the blue Gekiranger's technique and made the whole fight turn out sloppy and out of sync. Throughout the battle, Retsu was constantly getting hit and constantly getting in the other's way. It was no mystery that everyone knew that something wasn't right with him. Though, Retsu was grateful that everyone wasn't tormenting him about it. The young man had been purposely distant from the others since they returned to SCRTC Headquarters, and thankfully everyone took that as a sign to leave him alone. Unfortunately, the downside to this tactic was that it wouldn't satisfy one very stubborn indicidyal, Gou. Retsu knew that the violet ranger would not let him go so easily. Gou would pester him until he received a satisfying explanation, as to what happened earlier in battle that day.

Retsu glanced at his older brother, whom was currently leaning on the side of a wall not too far away, staring at him. His eyes were glaring right through the young man. Retsu couldn't read the expression on the violet Gekiranger's face, but then again, he didn't exactly want to know how Gou was feeling about him right now. Suddenly, Miki-san broke the awkward silence within the room.

"Everyone, I obtained some information about this RinJyuDen," she announced.

Soon everyone was gathered around the director's chair. Just as everyone was settled Retsu felt an arm rest around his shoulder. He flinched at first, but then relaxed a little at the familiar touch. He glanced up to see Gou. The older man was currently staring at Miki-san's computer screen, purposely avoiding eye contact with the younger man.

This puzzled the blue ranger, at first, but then he remembered how his older brother wasn't big on physically showing his feelings around others. Since, Gou rarely showed personal displays of brotherly affection, this small amount of contact shocked him. However, it was comforting nonetheless. Even though they were standing in the back of the crowd Retsu found it... touching. Plus, after everything the young man had been through it was nice to have some sort of comfort to soothe him, especially from his older brother.

"What did you find?" Ran asked.

"Well," the kind woman sighed, "it isn't much, but from what I was able to gather. This RinJyuDen is strong. It can unleash fireballs from its hands. The wings on its back are one of its greatest weapons. The power and heat of the fireballs depend on how fast the wings go, and of course, they enable it to fly. Also, this RinJyuDen has a strong outer armor due to its exoskeleton so it will be hard to land damaging blows."

"What about the people?" Jan asked.

"Well, I still haven't figured out what it did to the people. I'm still looking into that."

Everyone nodded.

"However, there isn't anything more we can do until the RinJyuDen shows up again," Miki-san concluded.

"Maitaze, so while those people are suffering we just have to sit around and wait for that thing to show up!" Gou gritted.

"Unfortunately, yes," the director sighed.

Slowly, everyone dispersed, obviously upset by the news. Retsu was about to walk towards the red couch, where Master Shafu was peacefully indulging in a cup of tea, when suddenly the arm around his shoulder tightened. Next thing the young man knew he was dragged out of the room and into the hallway.

The second the automatic door closed Retsu began to struggle. He knew what the older man had dragged him out for. To talk, and the last thing the young man wanted to do was talk to his stubborn, older brother about what happened on the battlefield.

After twisting around in the older man's grip Retsu was able to break free, but the small success was short lived. As soon as he got out of his older brother's grasp he was pulled right back in. The young man knew the violet ranger was serious the second he was thrown over his shoulders and carried down the hallway. Retsu felt like a child. He struggled, demanding Gou to put him down, but eventually came to terms with his older brother's decision.

Gou opened the door to their shared bedroom and placed the blue Gekiranger down onto his bed gently. Retsu dropped his head and glued his eyes to the floor, refusing to make eye contact with his older brother. The violet ranger sighed at the young man's immature action but sat down on the bed across from him. For a while there was nothing but silence between the two. Neither side was willing to break the ice. However, Retsu knew Gou was impatient and would be the first to speak if he was quiet long enough, and sure enough he did.

"Alright Retsu," Gou huffed, "I'm not going to sit here all day just to wait for an explanation."

"Who said you had to stay," Retsu retorted.

"I say I have to stay because I have a right to know," Gou responded.

"Know what?"

"You know what," Gou growled.

"No I don't."

"Well, then allow me to explain. I would like to know why my little brother was completely unfocused in battle today and got his ass handed to him by a giant bee!" Gou spat.

Retsu knew his brother was frustrated with him now, and the venom in his voice was a little frightening. However, he wasn't going to break the secret to him. It was too embarrassing. It was too weak. He couldn't… no… he wouldn't tell him.

"I was tired…" he replied.

"Tired?! You were tired?! Are you kidding me Retsu?! That's the best excuse you could come up with?!"

"It's not an excuse!"

"Yes it is! I can tell! I'm your brother Retsu and I know when you are lying!"

"Really, how?!"

"Oh, you really want me to tell you!"

"Yeah, prove it!"

"Because you are refusing to make eye contact with me and you a biting your lip, just like you did as a little kid. That instantly tells me that you are being a lying little brat."

"I-I am not!"

"Yes you are, but that's not the point Retsu! The point of the matter is that you are lying to me about something that affected you greatly in battle today. So much to the point where you got severely injured!"

"It's just a scratch, a bruise, and a burn. It's nothing serious Nii-san."

"Retsu you're not listening! Today it's just a scratch but tomorrow it could be a gash, today it's just a bruise but tomorrow it could be a broken rib, and-"

"Okay, okay I get it Nii-san! You don't have to over exaggerate everything!"

"Over exaggerate?! Retsu, I'm simply telling you the truth. We are warriors in a war. Getting any sort of injury is a risk, and the worse the injury is the better chance you have at losing your life!"

"Listen, I'll be more careful next time, okay. I promise. Now please let's just end this conversation. I really don't want to continue this nonsense."

"No, you are not leaving this room until you have told me why you acted the way you did in battle today."

"Maybe I don't want to!"

"You don't have a choice Retsu!"

"Yes I do!"

"Not while I'm around! I'm your older brother and I deserve a reason!"

"You're not my parent!"

"No, but you are my responsibility. I may be your brother, but if you don't stop acting like a child then maybe I will have to start acting like your parent!"

"Shut up Nii-san!"

"Just tell me what the hell happened out there!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I can't!"

"Why not?!"

"Because… because I just can't!"

"That's not good enough Retsu! You better tell me what's going on right now, or else I'll-"

"Or you'll what?!"

Suddenly, the older man shot up from his bed and stormed over to Retsu. The sudden action scared the blue ranger. The next thing he knew a large set of hands pushed the young man down onto the bed. Retsu landed on his back with a thud, but just as he was about to protest one hand grabbed his wrists and held them above his head, while another grabbed his chin and forced him to look at his older brother strait in the eye. Retsu cringed at the slight pain in his wrists and face, and the dark stare Gou was giving him sent shivers down his spine. Now the blue ranger wished he never challenged his brother like that.

"Tell me!" Gou hissed.

The older man's venomous tone made Retsu tremble. It sounded so much like the one from that vile RinJyuDen they faced in battle that day.

Then, the blue ranger found himself replaying the battle from before within his mind. How the creature spoke with venom in every word. How it heartlessly laughed whenever the rangers were knocked down. How it glared at them with cold, dark eyes. As the nightmare continued every laugh, every strike, every word the creature said only made his heart beat faster and faster. Retsu was starting to sweat as his anxiety grew, but he had to calm down. He had to. He couldn't break. He couldn't… break. Then, the violet ranger repeated his demand again only with more bitterness and volume in his voice.

"Tell me Retsu! Now!"

That's when he snapped.

Suddenly Retsu felt a sense of fear surge within him. His entire body froze, as if his veins turned to ice, yet he was becoming drenched in sweat. His body was shaking violently and his breathing had become quick and ragged. The blue Gekiranger didn't know what was going on. All he knew was that the battle scene from before was burning into his skull. The image of the beast haunting his mind as it cackled and grinned at him. He felt like he was physically and mentally falling apart and he couldn't stop.

"N-Nii-san," Retsu whimpered.

The young man was in a mental chaos. He was trying to recollect himself, but it seemed impossible. He was absolutely terrified as the scenes in his mind became more and more vivid, as if he was literally replaying the battle all over again. Retsu couldn't help himself as a few tears fell from his soft, brown eyes. A small sob escaped his lips. It was all too much.

While all this was happening, Gou had stopped yelling at his younger brother. Instead he was staring in confusion. The older man loosened his grip on the blue ranger's wrists and chin as he stopped to take a good look at him. Gou was becoming concerned with what he was seeing. The violent trembling, the immense sweating, the ragged breathing, the glassy eyes, and the choked sob… It made Retsu look vulnerable. It made him look defenseless. It tore the violet ranger's heart to see him like this.

"Retsu," Gou whispered.

Without a second thought the older brother pulled the young man into his lap and let Retsu bury his face into his purple, leather jacket. The blue ranger continued to sob violently as Gou wrapped his arms around his tiny body, and began to start rocking him back and forth.

Gou didn't understand what caused this. Was it because of the fight? Was it because of the injuries? Was it because of him? Instantly guilt flooded the older man as he looked back at how harsh he had acted towards Retsu. He didn't mean to. He was just so worried about him. After the way the young man had behaved all day, and after all of the injuries he received, the violet Gekiranger only had been concerned about his little brother's condition.

Suddenly, Retsu clenched his brother's jacket, to the point where his knuckles were white. The battle scenes were swarming in his head and it was becoming too overwhelming. His head was twisting in knots from all the chaos, and soon Retsu felt a painful migraine building. The images continued. It was like nightmare that was stuck on repeat, but there didn't seem like there was no way he could stop it.

Gou tightened his grip on Retsu and cradled him, brushing his large hand through Retsu's soft, black hair. As his hand traveled farther back the older man felt the blue ranger's body cringe. He rubbed it in the same spot again he received the same reaction. Going off of instinct Gou began softly rubbing the back of Retsu head, quickly sensing the tense knot that had formed. The violet ranger continued to rub the spot but sighed as he continued to hear Retsu's harsh sobbing and constant cringing.

This wasn't the first time he comforted Retsu. He had seen the blue ranger in this state once before and that was when they talked that night on the roof. The older brother learned that these moments of weakness in Retsu were rare, but when they did happen they were serious. However, this situation felt different than before. Retsu seemed like he had mentally snapped, literally. The young man wasn't calming down and his sobbing and shaking were only becoming more violent.

Eventually, Gou came to the conclusion that it would take more than just cradling and rubbing to calm Retsu down.

Gou swooped his arms under Retsu's knees and shoulders and lifted the young man into his arms. The blue ranger gasped and immediately seized onto his brother's jacket, as if the violet ranger would disappear if he let go. The older man frowned at this response but instantly turned around and laid his younger brother down onto his messy, violet bed.

As he was yanking off the blue ranger's shoes Gou thought back to the days before he disappeared. He remembered whenever Retsu got scared he cherished anything that was connected to the older man, whether it was his clothes or his bed. The younger brother once said that he cherished his possessions so much because they smelled and felt like him when he wasn't there. It always brought him comfort. Gou wasn't sure if this was still the case, but regardless he was willing to do anything he could to try and calm Retsu down.

Once the pair of shoes were thrown somewhere in the small room Gou began to stand up. Then, a firm hand grasped his wrist. The violet Gekiranger looked down only to be met with a pair of terrified eyes. His breath caught in the back of his throat as he absorbed the pain that was leaking from Retsu's face. It hurt to see the young man like this.

Then, Gou calmly grasped the younger brother's hand and set it gently upon the mattress. He looked into his little brother's soft, brown eyes and smiled at him.

"Don't worry Retsu. I'm not going anywhere," he said softly.

Then the violet ranger kicked off his shoes and pulled back the layers of covers. He jumped into the heap of fabric and instantly felt a pair of trembling arms wrap around his chest. While Gou was still worried about his little brother, he couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face as the scene reminded him of the nostalgic times they shared ten years ago. The older man wrapped his arms around the younger one and returned to rubbing circles his back and softly massaging the knot in his head. He started whispering comforting words into the younger brother's ear and from time to time kissed the top of Retsu's head to soothe his painful thoughts.

"We'll talk about this later," Gou sighed, as he felt Retsu's body slowly relax and his cries fade away.

Eventually, the young man was in a peaceful sleep and the older brother smiled, as he let the young one's even breathing lull him to sleep as well.

The sound of the alarm blared throughout the headquarters. Gou instantly sat up as the deafening sound reached his eardrums. He groaned at the obnoxious noise, but quickly got up and grabbed his shoes. As he was slipping them on he heard the scuffling of sheets moving and a pair of feet padding across the floor. He turned around and saw Retsu slipping on his shoes. The older man frowned. He wasn't going to allow Retsu leave the room. Not after what happened last night.

"You are not going," Gou said sternly, as he finished tying his shoes.

The blue ranger spun around and stared at the older man in confusion.

"What?" Retsu responded.

"You heard me. You are not going into battle," the violet ranger repeated.

"What! You're kidding right?"

A strict glare from the older man was the only response Retsu got.

"But why Nii-san?!"

"Because after that mental breakdown you had last night I don't think you are ready to go out onto the battlefield."

"Nii-san I'm fine."

"No you are not and you know it," Gou retorted.

"What happened last night wasn't as bad as it seemed," Retsu insisted.

"Really?! You acting like your brain had mentally snapped is clearly not that bad."

"I … I don't know what happened Nii-san, but I'm fine now and I want to fight."

"No you are not!"

"But I need to! I have to! It's my duty as a Gekiranger to protect the people!"

"Yeah, well it's my duty as your brother to keep you safe, and I will not allow you go out there in the state you are in."

"I'm fine now Nii-san and I am going. No matter what you say it's not going to stop me!"

"Wanna bet?!" Gou growled.

"Yeah, try me," Retsu gritted.

However, before the two men could continue Miki-san's voice came up on their devices.

"Gou, Retsu what are you guys doing? Didn't you hear the alarm?" The director asked.

As the two continued to glare at each other Gou glanced down at his device, lifted it up towards his face, and responded.

"Yes, Miki-san, we're on our way."

However, before Gou even glanced up the blue ranger slipped past him and ran out the door. Gou gritted his teeth as he heard the young man's frantic footsteps fading down the hallway.

"Maitaze," he growled.

Then he sprinted out of the room after his brother and towards the battlefield.

Retsu didn't want to go into battle to fight the RinJyuDen again. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but his duty to being a Gekiranger drove him out onto the streets. Miki-san informed him along the way that Ran, Jan, and Ken would meet him and Gou at the sight. Apparently, the three went out to introduce Jan to pizza for the first time, and to get their minds off of the battle from earlier. Retsu wished he could've joined them, but after what happened last night there was no way that would've happened.

The blue ranger couldn't even explain what happened back in that tiny room. The fear he felt was something he never felt before. It came out of nowhere and he couldn't control it, and that's what scared him the most, the fact that he randomly broke into a panic and he couldn't recover from it. If that happened during a battle the young man didn't know what he would do.

It wouldn't happen. It wouldn't. It couldn't.

Retsu looked over his shoulder, to see if his brother was following him, before he turned the last corner and continued to sprint down the street.

Ditching Gou was a stupid idea. A really really stupid idea, but if he hadn't taken the opportunity to escape he was pretty sure that he would've been strapped down to the bed by now. If he were to stay behind that would only increase everybody's suspicion about him, and make Gou that much more determined into getting the information out of him. He had to appear strong. Not weak. That wasn't the Retsu everyone knew and that wasn't the Retsu that he wanted everyone to know.

As the young man kept on running something caught his eye and caused him to come to a stop. He glanced over and saw Jan, Ran, and Ken waving their hands from behind a small, blue car on the side of the road. Retsu ran over to the vehicle and kneeled down along with the others.

"Why are you guys hiding behind a car?" He asked.

"Yeah why are we- Ow!" Ken yelped as Ran gave the white ranger a painful pinch on the arm.

"Since this RinJyuDen is a very powerful I thought that we would need to have everyone together in order to take it down successfully. So, we hid behind this car to conceal ourselves until you and Gou showed up. That way we can go into battle at full strength against the RinJyuDen," Ran explained.

"Didn't Miki-san tell us to wait for Retsu and Gou?" Jan asked.

Ran glared at the red ranger, with a stare that would put Medusa to shame. Jan released a nervous laugh, as he slowly dropped his gaze and returned to entertaining himself with a rock.

"By the way," Ken intervened, "where's Gou? I thought he was with you."

"Well… you see… he's-"

"Right here," a low voice interrupted.

Retsu mentally smacked himself as he turned around and saw his very pissed off older brother walking towards them.

"Gou, you're here!" Jan cheered.

"What took you so long," Ran asked.

Gou glared at his younger brother before responding to the yellow ranger's question.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he growled, "Let's just get this over with."

Retsu felt bad about disobeying his brother and making him mad, but he had to put those worries off to the side as everyone took off down the street.

After running for about a mile everyone was faced with a very familiar scene, a group of people lying on the ground and cringing in pain.

"What is going on?" The yellow ranger gasped.

"It's the same as last time," the laid back man sighed.

"This guy is going to regret this," the red ranger screamed.

"Let's take him down," the older man growled.

"Right," the blue ranger quietly added.

Suddenly, a series of explosions surrounded the Gekirangers and knocked them to the ground. A flash of yellow and black flew past them and landed several feet away. As everyone got up the RinJyuDen revealed itself.

"Well, well, well, we meet again. I was wondering where you were. I was getting impatient!" The beast hissed.

"We've had enough of you going around and injuring people like this," Ran screamed, "we are going to take you down right here, right now!"

"Ha! I'd like to see you try and exterminate me," the creature grinned.

"Everyone! Let's go!" Jan screamed.

"Right!"

This time Retsu refused to hesitate as everyone henshined and charged towards the RinJyuDen. He had to seem as unsuspicious as possible, and hopefully prove to Gou that nothing was really wrong with him.

As the fight continued Retsu could tell that it was going better than before, well, for everyone else. Jan had landed several kicks to the beast's head, Ran had jabbed her bo in the creature's stomach, Ken had fired several bullets at it, and Gou had landed a handful of heavy punches at its midsection. Everyone was doing better, except for him.

Retsu had only managed several swings with his GekiFans, and although they weren't sloppy like before they weren't hitting the beast either. The blue ranger was too scared to get close to the RinJyuDen. He tried several long distance attacks, but those didn't hit either. It was frustrating and concerning him that he hadn't made any lethal blows upon the creature since the battle had begun. All that he had done was get in the other's way and get hit by the RinJyuDen's attacks.

Retsu noticed that everyone was charging in for another group attack, and quickly joined in. Hopefully to make a hit this time. However, out of nowhere, the creature released a large blast in front of the group, which ignited into flames and shot everybody back. Retsu landed hard on the ground, but everyone else had been closer to the attack and instead hit the concrete building behind him. For once hesitation had been the benefit for the young man. Retsu looked back he checked the condition of the others. Nobody was seriously hurt. Everyone just got the wind knocked out of them and would probably take a while to recollect themselves. Retsu was lucky enough to be able to get up instantly, but that luck was quickly extinguished once he realized what that meant.

He was on his own against the RinJyuDen.

The blue ranger slowly turned around and glanced behind him, as the bee creature slowly approached him. Retsu already felt his palms sweating and heart pounding, and the beast hadn't even attacked him yet. The RinJyuDen came to a stop. Retsu gulped as the creature just stood and stared at him. It made his body tremble. Then the beast chuckled.

"What's wrong boy? Afraid to fight?" the bee hissed.

"No…" Retsu responded, attempting to sound confident, but failing miserably.

"Well then go ahead and make the first move hero," the creature teased.

"I-I will!"

"Oh, this'll be quite a show."

Then Retsu unleashed his GekiFans and ran towards the RinJyuDen. His mind was screaming to stop. His head felt light and his breathing had already lost its rhythm. The trembling was increasing throughout his whole body, but he had to keep going. He couldn't stop. He couldn't make a fool of himself in front of the others. He couldn't break down during this battle.

Once the young man was close enough he swung his fans at the RinJyuDen, but the creature easily dodged it. Retsu tried again, but the beast flew up and he missed again. Soon the blue ranger was swinging randomly, hoping to land some sort of blow upon the beast, but none was hitting. His couldn't focus. His mind was swarming with millions of pestering thoughts. It was becoming overwhelming.

Suddenly, the giant bee creature appeared merely inches from the young man's face and slapped the GekiFans right out of his hands. Then, he grabbed Retsu and threw him violently into a wall. He slammed into the stone structure with immense force. His limbs began shaking from both the pain of the impact and the increasing fear.

"Come on boy," the beast snickered, "this isn't a fight! Stand up and be a man!"

Retsu pushed himself off the wall and used it to launch himself towards the beast. He took his Super GekiClaw and tried to punch it into the RinJyuDen, but it was caught. The blue ranger gasped as the bee creature snickered once again, and placed a hand on his midsection. This time a fireball was shot at him from close range, causing Retsu to fly back and hit another stone wall. He cringed in pain from the burning feeling spreading upon his midsection.

"Retsu!"

The blue ranger heard a voice call out to him, but his ears were ringing too much to recognize it. He looked up and tried to recollect himself. Instead he was rapidly yanked off the ground and punched in the gut. Retsu held in a scream as the beast's fist came in contact with the fresh wound. Then, he was yanked closer and started receiving numerous punches everywhere. His face, his chest, his abdomen, they all were being attacked by vicious blows. Retsu's whole body was screaming in pain as each blow made him wheeze and cringe. He was barely remaining conscious when the attacks finally seized. He fell to the ground as the beast released him. The young man coughed harshly as he tried to catch his breath, as sickening metallic taste started filling his mouth.

Then, a hand crashed into the ground right next to his head. Retsu shakily looked up only to meet the face of the RinJyuDen itself. Retsu was trembling at the sight of the demon positioned mere centimeters from his face. He couldn't control the pounding in his chest or the icy feeling running through his veins. Everything was falling apart.

"What's the matter boy?! You don't fight like a man! You fight like a pussy!" The beast screamed.

The creature then punched him in the face, so hard that the young man's helmet broke off and fell from his head. That's when Retsu froze. The RinJyuDen released a demonic grin. The blue ranger gasped and couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped his lips. That sound alone screwed him. The creature noticed the tears running down his face, the immense trembling, the ragged breaths, and that small whimper.

"Are you afraid of me boy?" The beast sneered.

The young man couldn't speak. This was too much. It was all too much. He had to get out of there. He had to get out, but his legs wouldn't move. His damn legs wouldn't move.

"You know boy, I won't kill you. Since, you seem to be of no threat to me."

Retsu continued to stare at the RinJyuDen as it eyed him with its deep, pitch black eyes.

"But, I will give you something else, something that will break you, but more importantly break your team."

The young man was shaking uncontrollably as he felt the beast's hand run up his leg and another grip his face painfully. His whimpers were falling out of his mouth and he couldn't control them. The young man was beginning to release small cries as the fear overwhelmed him.

'_I am weak. I am so damn weak!' He thought._

"Think of it as a little reminder as to why you should continue to be afraid of me."

Then, the blue ranger felt a sharp, burning feeling penetrate his lower body. It was as if somebody stabbed him with a burning, jagged blade. Tears spilled out of his eyes as he realized the horror the situation.

"You're welcome," the RinJyuDen grinned.

The young man screamed as the stinger impaled him, but his screams were muffled as the creature's hand covered his mouth. Retsu felt a warm, sickening liquid being released into his system. It made his body burn. The pain was unbearable. It stung more than anything. The screams calling his name were completely muffled now. They felt as though they were not even there. The pain felt like an eternity, burning, jabbing, pulsing with venom. His stomach felt nauseous and the beast was grinning at him the entire time. Eventually, the RinJyuDen pulled his stinger out from the young man and stood up.

"Enjoy my gift boy," the beast sneered before it took off and disappeared into the sky.

At this point Retsu was on the brink of unconscious. His heart was pounding violently, only helping the venom travel through his system faster and faster. His vision was becoming foggy and his hands felt tingly. It couldn't end like this. He couldn't end like this. The young man felt someone grab him. The pair of arms were shaking him but he couldn't respond. His whole body felt numb. It was a chore to breath alone. Retsu felt the pair of arms suddenly hold him close. Tears fell from his eyes as he heard a faint voice calling out to him. The presence felt so familiar, but he couldn't focus as his body was being consumed by the pain.

He heard the voice scream his name before his slipped into the unconscious.

The faint sound of a monitor echoed throughout the medical bay of the SCRTC Headquarters. Gou was staring at the young man lying on the bed. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the heartbreaking scene.

Retsu was lying upon the soft, white mattress, still unconscious. His face was covered in bruises, as well as his chest and abdomen. The young man had two cracked ribs and a nasty burn on his stomach. His entire body was pale and sweating, and would release slight trembles every now and then. Bandages covered the blue ranger's midsection, where most of the damage had been done, and several adorned his face.

However, the worst of the injuries was the large gash in Retsu's lower back, where the RinJyuDen's stinger had penetrated him.

When Gou arrived with Retsu in his arms, after the battle, the young man had been shaking tremendously. The venom was pulsating throughout his system and it was causing the blue ranger's body to go into a state of shock. His breathing was rapid and inconsistent and he was drenched in sweat. When he was placed upon the table and Miki-san had pulled back his blue shirt to evaluate the wound both of them had gasped. The wound was dark red and had venom leaking out of it. Puss had formed and the edge of the wound was beginning to turn black, where the venom had reached some sort of severe stage. It looked painful.

Miki-san treated that wound first and all Gou could do was hold his little brother's hand and watch his unconscious face cringe as the kind woman tended to the wound. During the treatment the director had taken some samples from the injury to try and figure out what the venom was, what damage it was doing, and hopefully how it could be fixed.

Since the director's departure Gou had been sitting at Retsu's bedside, his hand still grasping the limp, pale one of his little brother. The violet ranger sighed as he remembered how all this could've been avoided if he hadn't let Retsu slip past him and run off into battle. He was right when he sensed that something was wrong. He just hated how he was right. Now Retsu was in immense pain and seemed to be barely clinging to life. Gou would've believed that the young man was dead if it hadn't been for the slow rise and fall of his chest, and the quiet beeping of the monitor nearby.

The older man tightened his grip on his little brother's hand and released a shaky sigh.

"Maitaze, why didn't you just listen to me Retsu?" Gou sighed.

He glanced at the still form of the unresponsive young man.

"Why didn't you listen?! Look where you are now! Practically dead with only this damn monitor to prove me wrong!" He screamed.

The pale face, blue lips, the barely audible breathing. His baby brother seemed visibly dead to his eyes. Gou let his head slowly hang as he grasped Retsu's pale hand with both of his, and let a small tear slip from his eyes.

"You better be alright," Gou whispered, "please be alright."

After a moment of silence, suddenly, a small groan emerged. The older man's head shot up instantly at the unexpected sound.

"Retsu?"

The blue ranger's eyes were still closed and it didn't seem as though he had moved at all.

'_Maybe it was just my damn imagination,' Gou sighed. _

As the violet ranger was settling back into the silence another groan was released. This time Gou looked back at his little brother and leaned in a bit, to take a closer look. Even though the young man hadn't shown any sign of movement Retsu had to be the one who could be making these noises. He sure as hell wasn't making them and there wasn't anybody else in the room besides him and the blue ranger.

Retsu was trying to wake up.

Slowly and carefully Gou rested his hand against the side of his little brother's face, trying to coax the young man to open his eyes.

"Come on Retsu," Gou quietly encouraged, "wake up."

Slowly, a pair of soft, brown eyes revealed themselves to the violet ranger. They searched around the room, dazed and slightly confused, until they rested upon the older man. Gou couldn't stop the small smile that appeared upon his face as he saw relief within his little brother's eyes.

"N-Nii-san…" Retsu wheezed.

"Retsu," the older brother sighed with relief, as he carefully wrapped the young man in a gentle embrace. The feeling of his little brother wrapped in his arms, conscious and alive, was a fantastic feeling that the older man could never describe. It saddened Gou a little as he noticed how weakly Retsu was hugging him back, but knowing that his brother was alive was all that he needed. After a moment, he pulled away and softly laid the blue ranger back down upon the white mattress.

"How are you feeling?" Gou asked.

"O-Okay… I guess," Retsu quietly replied.

The young man's voice came out weak and hoarse, and it made the older man frown.

"Does anything hurt? Miki-san gave you some pain killers when you arrived, so you shouldn't really feel anything, but just to make sure…"

Retsu weakly nod before he responded.

"For the most part… e-everything seems fine… but… my back feels really sore."

Gou nodded sadly.

"It still burns… and it makes me feel-"

Suddenly, Retsu broke out into a series of harsh coughs. The violet Gekiranger instantly went to the young man's side and started rubbing his back as the young man continued to cough violently. It broke Gou's heart to see Retsu go through so much pain.

'_He doesn't deserve all this,' He thought._

Gou continued to rub Retsu's back, until the blue ranger's coughing ceased. Once the young man recollected himself, he looked back up at his older brother with an exhausted expression upon his face.

"S-Sorry… I just feel so weak… It takes a lot of energy… to even speak," Retsu gasped.

"Don't be sorry Retsu. It's not your fault you're in this state," Gou assured, "It's mine."

Retsu instantly looked at his older brother with disbelief, but Gou didn't give him a chance to protest as he continued.

"If I hadn't let you leave our room and run off into battle then you never would've been forced to fight and if I hadn't taken such unnecessary damage from that damn attack then you never would've had to fight that RinJyuDen on your own. Not to mention that I treated you like shit when we had our talk in our room last night, and because of that it caused you to get hurt in battle today. You almost fucking died because of me! So don't you dare say that it is not my fault Retsu, because we both know that I was the reason you ended up in this medical bed."

"No," Retsu weakly protested.

"Yes, Retsu, because of me you could die from this damn RinJyuDen's attack! You could fucking die! How do you not understand that?!"

"N-Nii-san… please… don't," Retsu weakly pleaded.

Gou grasped the young man's hands and pressed them to his forehead. It was breaking Retsu's heart too much to see his brother assume such ludicrous things. It hurt even more to see how much it hurt him. He had never seen his brother so physically upset. He had to tell him. Gou didn't deserve to believe that he was the blame for this. He didn't deserve to be hurt.

"Retsu, no matter what happens, I will save you. I swear!" Gou promised.

The blue ranger couldn't hear anymore.

"Nii-san stop!" Retsu screamed.

The volume of the young man's voice shocked Gou, and him. The young man was at least happy that the sudden shout didn't lead to another coughing fit, but his throat did hurt a little. After a moment of silence he looked at his older brother with sincere eyes.

"Nii-san… this wasn't your fault… Don't ever think that," Retsu began.

Before Gou could speak the young man weakly squeezed his hand, as a silent request to not speak, before he continued.

"This whole thing… is all my fault… Ever since this… RinJyuDen arrived I… I've been unfocused… scattered… I've been causing problems… for both me… and the team… because I… I… I was afraid…"

The violent Gekiranger's eyes grew wide as his little brother began to reveal his dark secret to him.

"Nii-san… I never told you this… but I have a… a terrible… paralyzing fear… of bees… It's embarrassing… and I feel ashamed of being… afraid of such a little thing… When this RinJyuDen …showed up… it just reminded me… how much I was… scared of them… Everything that has… happened up until now… my fighting… my mental breakdowns… my injuries… they were all… because I was too afraid… to fight to… the RinJyuDen…"

Retsu released a shaky breath as he looked away from his brother's dark, brown eyes.

"I am so sorry… Nii-san… for not telling you this… sooner… I was just so… ashamed… and embarrassed… for having such a… ridiculous fear… I was weak and… and I should've… sucked this up sooner… I brought this… all upon myself… not you… and I made you feel… guilty for my actions… all because… I was too ashamed to… to tell you… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Nii-san…"

Silent tears fell from the young man's eyes as he lost his voice near the end. The secret was out, and the damage had all been done. He was a fool to keep it all in, but he was an even bigger fool to let such a stupid phobia cause this much trouble.

As the tears continued to fall Retsu felt pair of hands cradle his face and looked up to see Gou staring at him, looking deep into his glassy eyes. It was as if the violet ranger was trying to assure himself that everything the young man had said was true. The blue ranger didn't know what to expect. He was a mess, an absolute joke. Then, Retsu felt the touch of a comforting thumb rubbing the tears still falling from his eyes. He slowly looked up, only to meet the sincere look upon his brother's face.

"Retsu, you didn't tell me you had a severe phobia all because you were too ashamed?" Gou calmly asked.

The blue Gekiranger nodded sadly. Gou then released a sweet, loving smile that Retsu had sworn he'd never seen on his brother's face before. It sent a warm, comforting feeling throughout his trembling body.

"Maitaze, Retsu, you should've told me. I had no clue you afraid of such a thing. Even though you are scared of something as tiny as a bee, you shouldn't be ashamed of it. It's something that really scares you. Your fear is serious, and it is not something to be overlooked. I'm your brother. Anything that scares or harms you is of importance to me. Whether you're afraid of bees, thunder, or even the dark I will always be there for you. I will support you. I will help you overcome the obstacle because we are brothers. Don't ever feel like something is too embarrassing or too shameful to hide from me."

Retsu was shocked, completely astounded. Gou had accepted the news with open arms. He didn't bash him, yell at him, or leave him because of his unusual fear. He supported him. He promised him that he would be there for him, to help him overcome this obstacle. It made him happier than he could've ever imagined.

"Nii-san," The young man whispered.

"It'll be okay Retsu. We'll take on this obstacle together," Gou assured.

The blue ranger nodded and with a brief sense of strength, he brought the older man close and wrapped his arms around him in another embrace. Gou was surprised at first, but eagerly returned the exchange. The two sat together, arms wrapped around each other in a comforting silence.

Then, the sound of a door opening caused the small exchange to break and drew the two men's attentions towards the presence of Miki-san entering the room. Both rangers could see a large smile upon the kind woman's face, most likely signifying that she had witnessed their little bromance moment.

"Am I interrupting something," the director asked.

"No, not at all," Gou quickly responded.

Retsu ducked his head as embarrassment washed over him, but at the same time he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face as he realized that the older man still had an arm wrapped around his shoulder. Perhaps that talk about personal displays of brotherly affection was finally being taken into consideration.

"Well, I was coming in to see if Retsu was awake and I'm glad to see that you are. How do you feel?" Miki-san asked.

"Okay," Retsu answered roughly.

The young man grasped his throat has as a sense of frustration washed over him. He was getting tired of his voice sounding so quiet and hoarse. The reaction made the violet ranger frown.

"I see you're having some trouble speaking," the director responded sadly.

The blue ranger nodded.

"Miki-san," Gou spoke, "I know that you came in here for another reason besides checking in on Retsu. What is it?"

The director released a small smile at the alertness of the violet ranger.

"Nothing gets past you, does it Gou? Well, besides coming in to check in on you Retsu I also came in to say that I had found some information about the venom that was injected in you."

The two rangers gasped in disbelief at the sudden revelation, but were eager nonetheless to hear what the director had to say.

"What," Retsu gasped, "but… how did you…"

"While you were unconscious, I extracted a small amount of the venom from your wound and sent it to the SCRTC laboratory. They came back to me, not too long ago, with their results."

Both men nodded before she proceeded.

"What we found was the key purpose of the venom. This specific venom is meant to weaken the cells of the body. As the venom travels throughout your system every cell it comes in contact with is forced to fight the poison. The cell tries to fight it off, but unfortunately the cells of the human body are not strong enough to combat such a mutated form of this venom. As it progresses more and more the cells become so exhausted that eventually it causes them to stop doing their job. This explains why you feel so weak and are having trouble speaking right now, because most likely the cells that are in charge of your respiratory system are probably being affected by the venom right now."

Retsu nodded and felt Gou's grip tighten on his shoulder as the director continued.

"We found that this is a continuous cycle. The venom infects the cell, exhausts the cell, and causes the cell to shut down, but even this is not the main problem."

Retsu gulped as the kind woman continued.

"The venom has a target, and the heart is a key factor in reaching that target. Once the venom reaches the heart it will allow the substance to spread to every part of the body and affect every cell very rapidly. This will quickly cause the body to shut down, but even the body as a whole is not the main target. Not the internal organs, not the muscles, and not the systems. This venom's target is the brain. Once it hits the brain… it will exhaust the brain cells and cause the body to shut down."

The second the words left Miki-san's lips, the blue ranger felt his mouth go dry. This was bad. If the venom reached his heart… then it was over. Suddenly, the young man felt the violet ranger pull him closer to him, to the point where he was practically leaning into his older brother's small embrace.

"How do we stop it," Gou asked.

"Unfortunately, there's only one way. Since, we weren't able to make an antidote from the sample we received this means that you must defeat the RinJyuDen in order to stop it."

The older man nodded.

"Miki-san?" Retsu whispered.

"Yes, Retsu."

"How… how bad… is it… for me?"

The director sighed.

"Judging by the sound of your voice, the venom has made it to the outer reach of your ribcage, which is why it is starting to affect with your breathing. The venom got a lot of distance covered when your body went into a state of shock, and your heart was pumping rapidly. We gave you some antibiotics to slow down to process, but that's the best we could do.

At this point, the best thing you can do is to keep your heart rate beating at a calm rate. You need to remain calm and not perform any sort of physical activity, or else you risk increasing the spread of the venom."

Retsu nodded. Then, Miki-san turned around and was about to take her leave before she stopped at the doorway. She looked back at the two before she spoke.

"Gou, may I speak with you for a moment?" The director asked.

"Of course."

The older man sat up and looked back at Retsu before he walked out of the white room. Once the two were outside, the door was shut, and they had walked away from the window the kind woman finally spoke.

"Gou, I know you are very worried about Retsu."

The violet ranger chuckled at the obvious comment, but knew that Miki-san had meant a lot of heart behind it.

"I'm just so worried about him," he replied, "He doesn't deserve all this. The pain, the fear, he's come too far to be hurt like this."

"I know, but in order for him to pull through he'll need a lot of support, and I know there isn't anybody who could help him through this better than you."

Gou smiled and his old friend's comment.

"Retsu really needs you now Gou. Until this RinJyuDen is defeated he is at risk of being killed by the venom. You have got to help him remain calm, and more importantly, remain positive."

"I understand."

Miki-san smiled at the older man as she looked back in the direction of the blue ranger's medical room.

"Don't worry Miki-san. I won't let anything happen to him."

"I know," the director responded, "Take care of him."

With that the kind woman walked down the hallway and returned to the main headquarters. Gou released a long sigh before he returned to the medical room.

The violet ranger smiled as he saw his little brother lying on the soft, white bed. He was glancing over at the other side of the room, most likely lost in the creativity of his young mind. He looked so innocent and fragile, and reminded Gou how precious the young man was to him.

The older man walked up to the bed and gently laid a hand upon his little brother's shoulder. Retsu glanced up and smiled as his soft, brown eyes met the deep, dark ones of his older brother.

"Hey," Gou said.

"Hey… is everything okay?" Retsu asked.

"Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Well… Miki-san did… pull you out…"

"Yes, but it was just a friendly conversation, nothing more."

Retsu nodded, although he knew his brother was lying he also knew that it wasn't exactly his place to really know what was discussed between the director and his brother.

"Well… it's getting late… I don't think… the RinJyuDen… will be attacking until tomorrow," Retsu sighed.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"You… should get… to bed," he whispered.

The older man nodded. Just as Retsu was about to settle down for the long night ahead he felt a familiar presence slide into the small bed, and lie down next to him. The blue ranger looked over at his older brother in complete shock. He did not expect this from Gou.

"N-Nii-san," Retsu gasped.

"Not a word," Gou interrupted, "just relax and go to sleep. I'll be right here."

Retsu felt a smile grow upon his face as he lied his head down upon his brother's chest. The leather jacket felt like a warm pillow and instantly soothed the blue Gekiranger. Gou smiled down at his little brother and laid his head upon the soft, white pillow. He wrapped an arm protectively around the young man and slowly started rubbing it up and down his back. The older man felt Retsu slowly relax, and the response brought temporary relief to him. He peeked down at his younger brother as he watched him peacefully doze off. He smiled and leaned down to press his lips against the blue ranger's forehead before he closed his eyes.

"Good night Retsu."

"Good night… Nii-san."

The violet ranger stirred, as he felt someone tugging lightly upon his leather jacket. Gou didn't want to open his eyes. He was too comfortable to wake up. The older man brushed it off as he settled back to sleep, but then the same thing happened again, only this time it felt more frantic. Gou groaned to himself as he gave in to the obnoxious tug, realizing that the annoying action would not cease until he woke up. As the violet ranger slowly opened his eyes he tried to figure out where the source of the tug had come from. Instinctively, he turned his gaze towards his little brother and saw the young man sleeping, peacefully beside him.

Gou stopped the grumpy complaints inside of his head and instead found himself gazing at the sight before him. Retsu was comfortably curled up next to the violet ranger, as one of his hands was laced into the thick, leather fabric of the older man's jacket. The image was cute, but unfortunately that was the only positive thing Gou could say about it. The blue ranger's breathing was shaky, his face was flushed, and beads of sweat were still forming upon his pale face. Gou frowned as the sight upset him. He raised his hand and lightly brushed a strand of the young man's black hair from his face, and smiled as his younger brother nuzzled further into his embrace, due to the light touch.

It was cute. It made him smile and give him a sense of hope that his little brother would be alright by the end of all this.

As the older man started to brush his hand through the blue GekiRanger's soft, black hair he began to ponder the unusual tug he felt just minutes ago. Retsu didn't appear as though he did it. He was still too fast asleep. So, that meant that somebody else had done it, but who?

"Gou," a voice whispered.

The said man instantly tensed as the familiar voice of the director reached his ears. He released a long sigh before he slowly turned around and came face to face with Miki-san. The young woman was standing beside the medical bed, her arms crossed, and a large smile painted upon her face.

_'Well… that was embarrassing," he thought. _

The violet ranger released a casual cough before he acknowledged the presence of the kind woman.

"H-Hey, Miki-san," he stuttered, "What is it?"

The director mentally laughed to herself as she took in the older man's reaction. She never saw Gou act so embarrassed before, but it was interesting to see what sides of her old friend the blue ranger could bring out. Then, her face became serious as she delivered the news.

"The RinJyuDen is back."

The violet ranger's eyes grew wide as the news quickly sank in. This was his chance to save Retsu, his chance to kill the damn beast for causing his little brother all this pain, his chance to remove the one thing that had been bothering Retsu so much these past two days. Carefully, Gou moved out of the small medical bed and tucked the young man under the layer of sheets. Retsu stirred for a moment, but released a small sigh as he resumed to his peaceful sleep. Gou smiled and gazed at his little brother one more time before he turned around.

"Look after him, while I am gone," he said.

"Of course," the kind woman responded.

Then Gou ran out of the room and towards the battlefield.

Once he arrived at the scene the others were already standing before the RinJyuDen. The beast was standing in the middle of the street, staring viciously at the group with menacing, black eyes. The rangers didn't get a chance to welcome Gou to the fight before he released a threatening growl towards the RinJyuDen.

"You," he growled.

"So, you finally showed up," the beast chuckled.

The creature then smirked devilishly at the violet ranger, as it noticing the angered expression radiating off of the older man's face.

"Oh, you don't look to happy. You must be that blue ranger's brother. Am I right? I did hear him call your name during our fight yesterday. Ha-ha, how sad."

Gou clenched his fists as the creature smiled at him with a devilish grin.

"How is the young boy? Did he enjoy my gift? I'm sure you all did. Nice, isn't it? Unfortunately, I don't think he'll be able to enjoy it for much longer. He's running out of time."

"You bastard," the older man screamed, "You're going to pay for making my little brother suffer. I refuse to let you take away the last bit of family I have! I'm going to kill you! You will be nothing but disemboweled body parts when I'm done with you!"

The RinJyuDen laughed before it glared at the older man and the rest of the group.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Then it charged and the battle began.

Retsu was lost in his peaceful state of mind. Overtime, he had become more conscious, to the point where he could stay asleep and acknowledge the sounds and familiar presences around him. The young man heard the sound of fingers typing upon a keyboard, and knew that Miki-san was in the room with him. The tiny noise was unusually calming and soothed the blue ranger. As he continued to doze the sound of a door opening echoed across the room. The sound of soft pads traveling across the floor indicated that Master Shafu had entered. Suddenly, the sound of the cat master's voice rang throughout the tiny medical space.

"How's the battle looking Miki-san?"

"Not good," the director replied, "this RinJyuDen is just too much for these guys. They're not landing any blows and are barely holding up out there."

Retsu instantly tensed as he listened to the concerned tone in the kind woman's voice. The battle wasn't going well, but Gou was out there. The battle shouldn't be turning out bad. The young man could practically picture the violet ranger beating the shit out of the nasty bee creature, but from the sound of it that wasn't what was going on at all.

Retsu was pondering whether or not to open his eyes, and let the two in the room become aware of his conscious presence. However, if he did that then they would most likely stop talking. This didn't seem like a conversation Retsu was meant to hear, and although he wasn't the eavesdropping type, the young man remained still and continued to listen to the conversation.

"Is there anything we can do?" Shafu asked.

"I don't know. Everyone's trying all these different strategies against this guy, but none of them are working. They all come off scattered and disorganized. At this rate they'll all be killed."

Retsu cringed once again. The thought of his brother being killed by the RinJyuDen was haunting, but at the same time he had to have faith in him. He had to. He took a deep breath before he continued to listen.

"All we can do now is wait and hope," Master Shafu sighed.

"I guess," the director replied, "If the team could just get their technique down then perhaps they'd have a chance. They're all just too predictable and are not in sync. Their missing part of their triangle and that's what's throwing them all off. Retsu's part is the most important one in this case, but unfortunately Retsu is in no condition to fight. If he could then this battle would be completely different."

"I don't think so Miki-san. Even if Retsu wasn't hurt I don't believe he would've had the strength both mentally and physically fight. I think we both know that he's been acting very differently ever since this RinJyuDen showed up, and he has not been as focused as before. He wouldn't be able to fight. Not to the standards that would be needed to beat this beast. We just have to believe in the others."

The blue ranger released a silent sigh, as the painful news hit. There was a moment of silence before a voice appeared again.

"Miki-san, perhaps one of the masters could think of some sort of strategy to aid the others. We should go and look for them. They are all scattered around the building. So it would be best if both of us went to look for them."

"But, what about Retsu," the director stated, "We can't just leave him here all alone."

"It won't take long, Miki-san. Retsu is safe. Besides, he seems fast asleep. He shouldn't be waking up anytime soon. We should be fine."

After another moment of silence the blue ranger heard a soft sigh and a series of footsteps exiting the room. Finally, a tiny click indicated that the door to the medical room had been shut and at that moment Retsu opened his eyes and lifted his head to look around the room. It was empty. The young man took a moment to think over everything that he had just heard between the two adults from earlier.

_'Everyone's in danger, and it could be my lack of presence that causes everyone to be killed... I have to do something. I can't lose them… because of me… because of my stupid fear and my limited physical condition. I can't lose them. I can't lose… Nii-san... But what do I do? What do I do?' _Retsu thought.

He sat up, and clenched his chest as a wave of pain swept over him. The increasing concern was starting to stress his body, as his heart was pounding. He took a moment to calmly recompose himself, until his heart rate returned to normal. Retsu knew he was in no shape to fight, but at the same time a sense of guilt wouldn't leave him. If he didn't go to the fight then it was very possible that the others would not make it. If Gou died all because Retsu couldn't stand up to his damn fear, then he would never forgive himself. He had to fight. He had to help the others. He had to take this RinJyuDen down once and for all. There was the risk of him overdoing it and losing his life in the process, but by the looks of it he will be doomed if he doesn't do something soon.

_'All my life I've let this fear consume me. I've let it take over me and cause me to fall when I shouldn't have. I have to stand up to it. If I don't then Gou will die, everyone will die, I will die. It's now or never. If I don't beat this RinJyuDen then it's the end of everything.'_

With his mind set, slowly Retsu crawled out of his tiny medical bed. He held in a pained gasp as he rested his feet upon the cold, tile floor. The blue ranger took a moment to catch his breath as he sat on the edge of the bed. However, he knew if he didn't hurry out of the headquarters, Miki-san would return and then he would never get out.

Quickly, but carefully, Retsu stood up and walked over to a white chair nearby. His clothes folded neatly upon the seat. He grasped the arm of the chair as he grabbed his clothes. As quickly as he could, the blue ranger slipped on his usual attire and quietly padded to the door. He opened the tall structure and peeked down the long hallway, checking to make sure nobody was there. Then, he stumbled out of the room and began his decent down towards the exit. The young man weaved his way through the maze of hallways. Luckily for him, Retsu knew the headquarters well, and discovered several secret passages while he had stayed here. He took these to his advantage as he snuck through the hidden pathways, and drew closer and closer towards the exit.

After several minutes of maneuvering through the vast building Retsu finally arrived at the exit. He smiled at the small accomplishment as he burst through the doors. Instantly, he began walking towards the battlefield. As he turned the first corner the young man felt a searing pain run through his body. He grasped his chest and cringed at the burning feeling and came to a stop. The blue ranger took a moment to catch his breath, as he leaned himself against a nearby tree. However, he couldn't let this small obstacle stop him. He couldn't turn back. He had to keep going.

As the pain slowly faded away Retsu began walking towards the city again. After making several more successful turns, without any pain, a bridge became the only hurdle between the blue ranger and the battlefield. Just as Retsu was about to cross the grand structure a familiar beeping came up. The young man looked down as he recognized the beeping sound coming from his GekiChanger.

"Retsu! Are you there? Retsu! Answer me please! Retsu!"

"Miki-san…" he gasped.

"Retsu! What are you doing?! Where are you?!" The director screamed worriedly.

"Sorry Miki-san… but there is something… I have to do… I hope you understand," the young man replied.

"Wait a minute… no… no you're not doing what I think you're doing Retsu. You're not going to fight are you?!"

Retsu sighed as the moment of silence confirmed the kind woman's worst fear.

"Oh my god! Stay where you are Retsu! I'm coming to get you!"

"No… Miki-san… don't… I have to do this… the others need me…"

"Retsu, you are in no shape to fight. Listen to yourself! You can barely speak! You need to come back. It's for your own safety."

"Then what would I do… go back to the headquarters… lie helplessly in my bed… while everybody else… is probably getting killed… by the RinJyuDen… and then face my own… inevitable death?"

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and Retsu knew that he had just exposed his knowledge of the conversation from earlier. However, despite the guilt of concerning his director, Retsu had already made his decision, and even Miki-san couldn't make him reconsider.

"Retsu…" the kind woman replied softy.

"I'm sorry… Miki-san… but this is something… I must do… I'll see you… after the battle."

"No! Retsu don't!"

It was too late. The blue ranger hung up. He knew Miki-san wouldn't accept his decision. Especially when he seemed as though he was standing at death's door and could fade at any moment, but he had to do this. Somewhere deep inside he felt the fighting urge to make it to the battlefield, and save not only himself, but his brother and everyone else.

The young man looked down at his device and turned off the tracking mechanism that he knew the director had implanted within his GekiChanger. He knew the kind woman would yell at him about this later, but for now it had to be done. The young man looked up at the city, from across the bridge, and took a deep breath as he began walking swiftly towards the battlefield.

_'I'm coming… Nii-san'_

Another explosion knocked the Gekirangers off their feet, and land upon the scorching ground. Gou pushed himself to get up, as he charged at the RinJyuDen. He attacked the beast with multiplied punches to the face and abdomen, but the creature didn't evens seemed phased by the blows. The RinJyuDen grabbed one of the violet ranger's fists in midair and grinned before it delivered a brutal punch to Gou's stomach, causing him to fly back. He landed hard on the concrete once again, as the others surrounded him.

"Gou! You shouldn't be fighting this guy on your own!" Ran yelled

"Yeah, we need to work as a team!" Ken added.

"If we don't then we're doomed," Jan finished.

The violet ranger got up and violently pushed away from the others. He glared back at them with dark, cold eyes. Everyone fell silent.

"Since when has working together done us any good for us today?!" He screamed, "All we've been doing is getting our asses handed to us by this damn beast. None of our strategies are working when we're together, so I say we screw that and we just do things on our own!"

"I know our strategies haven't been working too well Gou," Ran interrupted, "and I also know you've been acting a lot more violent recently because you are worried about Retsu. However, think for a minute, isn't Retsu a clear example as to what could happen to us if we fight on our own against this thing? We can't risk it!"

Gou growled at his team. He knew what Ran said was true, and it angered him more than anything. He knew that working as a team was the best chance they had at beating this beast, but with the way things had been going so far their plans seemed useless. Furthermore, Gou wanted to personally take this RinJyuDen down on his own. He wanted to avenge his little brother. He wanted to be the one to kill this creature.

Suddenly, the sound of the beast's demonic laughter echoed down the street, and caught all the Gekirangers attention.

"You're wasting your time," the RinJyuDen chuckled, "Your brother's probably dead by now, and soon you guys will be next! So, just accept your fates and fall like flies already!"

"Never!" Gou screamed.

The bee creature smirked and released a glowing fireball at the group. Everyone screamed as the blast knocked them down once again.

'_This is getting ridiculous!' _Gou thought.

He wanted to take this beast down, but he was barely laying any damage on it. Everybody was barely managing with this thing. If something wasn't done soon then Gou and the rest of the group would die. Worst of all that would mean that Retsu's fate would be sealed and he would die. The older man growled at the haunting thought and glared at the RinJyuDen.

'_How the hell can I beat this thing!' _

The bee creature released another laugh as another fireball began glowing in the palm of its claws. Gou heard everyone gasp behind him as the evitable finisher seemed to be upon them. The Gekirangers weren't ready to give up, but at the same time there didn't seem like a way to defeat this beast. Just as the RinJyuDen was about to release the flaming finisher an unexpected voice rose from the silence.

"Stop!"

Gou instantly felt his heart freeze. He knew that voice. God dammit he knew that voice, and he couldn't have been more scared in his life as his gaze transferred from the RinJyuDen to the blue ranger standing merely feet away from the battlefield.

"Retsu…" Gou gasped.

"Well, didn't think I'd see you hear. I was sure you were dead by now, but I guess I underestimated your stubbornness," the beast hissed.

"I… am here… to take you… down," Retsu gasped.

"Ha! Are you kidding me?! You can barely speak boy! You're practically dead to me! You're not worth my time! In a matter of minutes you'll be dead, so why don't you go live your last few moments huddled up in a corner crying to yourself somewhere."

"Retsu! Get out of here!" Gou screamed.

"No… I'm not running away… not this time," the young man whispered.

"Retsu! Go now! Before it's too late!"

"It's already too late," the RinJyuDen hissed, "your brother will die soon from my venom and there is nothing you can do about it. By dragging himself out here he has only sped up the process. Fool!"

At the sound of the beast's words the older man grew desperate. He couldn't lose Retsu. He was all he had left. If this conversation lasted any longer the venom could reach his little brother's brain, or worse, the beast could grow impatient and finish him off himself. It could be game over at any second.

"Retsu!" Gou begged, "Leave now!"

The young man looked at the violet ranger lying on the ground. His eyes were filled with exhaustion, but at the same time there was this determined glow that shined within the blue Gekiranger's soft, brown orbs.

"Nii-san…," he gasped, "I can't leave… this is an… obstacle that… I have… to overcome."

That's when everything in the older man's mind clicked. Retsu was standing up to his fear. He didn't commit this crazy idea because he felt like he was obligated to. He came to fight the RinJyuDen because he wanted to. His little brother wanted to combat his worst fear, once and for all. Gou ffelt a small smile paint his face as he looked at the strength of the young man standing in front of him. He couldn't be more proud. However, as the silence swept across the battlefield the sound of the bee creature's impatient growl drew everyone back to reality.

"I've had enough of this nonsense! I was going to let the poison kill you but you're becoming too much of an annoyance to me!"

The beast then took the fireball that had been reserved in its hand, and threw it viciously at the young man. Without any hesitation the violet ranger lunged in front of Retsu and punched the attack away, a vast explosion following not long afterwards.

"Nii-san…" the blue ranger gasped.

"Are you okay, Retsu," Gou asked.

The young man nodded. The older brother smiled gratefully behind the thick helmet before the venomous growling of the RinJyuDen returned.

"You bastard! You couldn't just let the little; worthless brat blow up could you! He's not worth it! He's shit with the way he's turned out! Can't you tell by how weak he is! First, he's too afraid to fight me, then he gets poisoned, and finally he comes out on a suicide mission to try and make up for all of it. He's a wimp and deserves to die! So, if you don't move I will burn both of you until you are nothing but dead, charred carcasses!"

Suddenly, the beast howled as a series of bullets impaled its back. The RinJyuDen turned around and snarled behind him, as at the rest of the Gekirangers stood up. The group had unleashed their weapons and began wielding them masterfully within their hands. They glared at the beast as they posed to strike.

"Gou, we'll hold him off. You get Retsu ready to fight," Ran screamed.

"Yeah! Make sure Retsu's ready to kick some butt!" Jan cheered.

"Because if this is something he needs to do then he better be ready to do it!" Ken yelled.

Then, the rangers charged at the RinJyuDen, and left the young man in the hands of older brother. Gou nodded and stood up to run towards his little brother. Once he arrived in front of him he looked down at Retsu and saw determination surging within the blue ranger's soft, brown eyes. However, there was also a sense of hesitation. The young man may've gotten the guts to come out here, but the fear of the creature was still lingering inside. Gou was concerned for his younger brother, but at the same time he understood Retsu's reasons for coming all this way. Even though the action was stupid and it could've killed the blue Gekiranger he was still proud of him, to a certain degree.

The older man rested his hands upon the young man's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry Retsu," the Gou whispered encouragingly, "You can do this. You've proven that even though you are still afraid of this RinJyuDen you are not afraid to fight for yourself. You've proven that you are ready to take on this obstacle."

"Nii-san…" Retsu gasped.

"However, the stunt you pulled off was stupid. Don't ever run towards a battle when you're basically about to die. Got it?"

The young man chuckled as he nodded at his older brother's comment. Then, his eyes became serious and he looked at the violet ranger with determination within eyes.

"Nii-san… I know… I came here… to take on this obstacle… on my own… but I also know… that I am not physically… able to do this on… by myself… Would you… help me… fight the RinJyuDen?"

Gou was grateful for his violet helmet, as huge smile grew upon his face. He was glad that Retsu had the guts to fight the beast, but at the same time he was glad that he also had the common sense to know that he still couldn't do this entirely on his own. The violet ranger was more than happy to fulfill his little brother's request. He patted the young man's head before he responded to the blue ranger.

"Of course," he replied, "Now hurry up! I think the others are getting tired of getting their asses kicked over there. Let's go teach that beast a lesson."

Retsu laughed and nodded determinedly. Then, he threw his hands out in front of him and released his henshin call.

"Tagire… Power of the Beast… Beast on!" He cried.

Soon, the young man was suited in his blue battle suit, and with a click of his Super GekiClaw he bared the colors of a true warrior. The two brothers exchanged glances before they jumped down towards the RinJyuDen.

The other rangers had just been hit by another powerful attack and were struggling to get up, as the brother' arrived. The bee creature stopped his quick advancement upon the team as the two men before him. It caused him to stop dead in his tracks and glare at the two foes with unimaginable anger.

"Stop right there! RinJyuDen!" The two rangers screamed.

The beast screamed at the blue and violet rangers as it fueled itself for the inevitable fight.

"So, you are really going to fight me. Well, don't come crying to me in the afterlife once I cut both of you down in one strike!" The RinJyuDen screamed.

"Not if we cut you down first!" Gou yelled.

Then, the creature charged. As the beast advanced towards the two, the blue ranger looked at his older brother and gave him his first set of orders.

"Nii-san… could you… launch me at him," he asked.

"Can do," Gou replied.

The violet ranger grasped the young man, one hand on his waist and the other on his back, as Retsu crouched into position. He waited until the RinJyuDen was close enough before he gave his older brother the call.

"Now!"

As the jets ignited the older man launched the blue ranger at an unbelievable speed towards the beast. The RinJyuDen gasped as it noticed the young man's rapid advancement towards him and tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. Retsu extended his arm forward, grasped his metal claw firmly, and released a passionate scream.

"Super Jaguar Geki!"

The blue ranger jammed his Super GekiClaw into the beast's abdomen and the creature released an agonizing scream as the force of the impact knocked him down. The RinJyuDen fell to the ground, astonished by the force of the attack. Retsu came to a stop several feet away, but wavered slightly from the vast amount of energy he had used in the attack. His body shook for a moment and he felt a slight sense of nausea wash over him, but just as he was starting to grow worried he felt a comforting arm wrap around his waist. The young man smiled as he looked up at his older brother, as the violet ranger supported him with his own weight.

"You okay?" Gou asked concerned.

"Yes… just a little… worn out from that attack… but I can still go," he replied.

The older man nodded before he spun around, Retsu still within his grasp, and faced the beast once again. Meanwhile, the bee creature released an enraged cry as it stumbled to its feet.

"How dare you lay a blow on me! You both are going to pay!" The RinJyuDen screamed angrily.

The beast ignited his hands with scorching fireballs and began throwing them aimlessly at the two rangers. Gou helped his little brother as they dodged each attack the creature threw at them. As they continued avoiding the series of fireballs, the older man glanced at the blue ranger.

"So, what's the plan now?"

"I'm going… to use my GekiFans… to knock the attacks… back at the RinJyuDen… I need you… to help me… wield them."

"You got it!"

Once there was a moment without a plethora of attacks Retsu called upon his GekiFans, and the weapons appeared. The blue ranger took one, while the violet ranger took the other. The creature growled at the two brothers and released a mass of fireballs once again. Then, the two rangers swiftly knocked the fireballs away from each other. The two continued deflecting the attacks, jumping, spinning, gliding across the ground. It was as if they were dancing upon the battlefield. They were completely in sync. At one point, the two even locked arms and worked together to deflect a larger mass of fireballs flying at them. Then, after several rounds, Retsu saw his opportunity to send one back at the RinJyuDen. He took a deep breath, as the attack advanced towards him, before he swung his weapon and shot the fireball back at the beast. The creature once again cried in anguish as its body became encompassed in flames. The RinJyuDen fell to the ground struggling to get up.

"This is our chance!" Gou screamed.

Retsu nodded. After that last move, the young man was extremely exhausted, but he knew if they didn't take this opportunity to kill the creature then the RinJyuDen would recover and attack again. The blue ranger looked at his older brother and gave his last request.

"Let's do… our signature move… the brother finisher" he gasped.

Gou looked at him and nodded at the order. Retsu took a deep breath and held his gasp as he used all his might to jump up. The violet ranger then ignited his fist with his flaming, purple Geki, and launched the young man high into the air. The blue ranger released his breath as he came soaring down towards the beast, jets blaring, arms extended, and determination burning in his heart.

"Super Brother Geki!" The young man screamed, as he slammed into the RinJyuDen.

Retsu landed several feet away from the beast, as the creature began to spark and convulse from the impact of the finisher.

"This can't be," the RinJyuDen choked, "I got beaten by somebody who was afraid of bees. Who was injected with my poison! How?!"

"Because," Retsu gasped, "I had the… strength… stubbornness… and support… to overcome… my obstacle."

The creature glared at the young man, before he released a defeated cry and fell to the ground, a grand explosion marking the end of the demon's life.

Once the aftershock of the blast faded away the young man sighed with relief at his grand accomplishment. He released a shaky breath as he slowly stood up.

"Nice job Retsu!" Gou screamed.

The blue ranger turned around and could practically see the giant smile on his brother's face, behind his violet helmet. Retsu let a smile fall upon his face, before a wave of nausea fell over him. Without warning, he released a choked gasp and unhenshined, as he limply fell to the ground.

The instant the blue ranger hit the concrete; the older man screamed his name.

"Retsu!"

The violet ranger sprinted towards him as his ranger suit disappeared as well. He kneeled down and cradled the pale, young man in his arms as he tried to comprehend what was going on. Retsu was breathing harshly, beads of sweat pouring from his face, and he wouldn't stop shaking.

"Retsu," Gou gasped.

"N-Nii-san," the young man choked.

The older man was swarmed with anger and disbelief. This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. They beat the RinJyuDen. Retsu should be better.

"What is going on?!" He screamed.

Suddenly, Miki-san's voice came up from his violet device.

"Guys, the RinJyuDen is still not dead," the director stated.

"What?!" Gou yelled.

"You have to beat him in his last form in order to officially cancel out the venom!"

Gou panted in disbelief. Retsu came all this way, to conquer his fear and destroy the venom, yet in the end it still didn't work. Suddenly, the ground shook and the team looked up as the bee creature appeared in its giant form, releasing a powerful cry.

"No…" Gou gasped.

"Don't worry," Ran stated.

"We'll take him down," Ken continued, "in the meantime you should take Retsu back to headquarters."

"Yeah, and when we're done we can all celebrate on Retsu's big accomplishment today!" Jan screamed.

The violet ranger looked back and stared at the three warriors before him. The small group looked at him and nodded encouragingly, to try and coax some faith into the concerned man. Gou watched them for a moment, as a sense of hope started to flood within him. These guys were the only ones who could save Retsu now, and they knew it. That's when he understood that the others held the same level of concern for the blue ranger as he did, and the violet ranger couldn't have been more grateful to have such loyal comrades by his side. Gou looked up at his team before he nodded at their request. Then, quickly but carefully, he picked up his little brother and took off towards the headquarters as the others entered their GekiBeasts.

Gou sat upon the soft couch at the headquarters, tapping his foot nervously as Miki-san watched the others grand battle take place. Retsu was barely holding on. He was hardly breathing, his body was completely drenched, and he was shaking violently. The director had said that the venom had reached the blue ranger's heart, and was almost at his brain. At this point, it truly was up to the rest of the team to save the young man.

The violet ranger looked down at his little brother and cradled him closely to his chest, trying to provide some sort of comfort to him, as well as trying to cease his own violent shaking. Gou rested his head against Retsu's drenched forehead and could hear the quiet, inconsistent sobbing of the younger man below him.

"N-Nii-san…" Retsu choked.

It broke Gou's heart to hear his little brother's voice sound so broken and frightened. Retsu was on the verge of death and was scared out of his mind, and who could fucking blame. If the others didn't defeat the RinJyuDen soon then the violet ranger would have to bear the burden of helplessly watching his little brother die in his arms. The older man was terrified beyond belief. His only family could be gone in a matter of seconds, and there wasn't anything he could do. All he could do was whisper soothing words into the young man's ear, as tears began falling from his eyes.

"I-It'll be okay, Retsu. Y-You'll make it. Trust me. Just h-hang on. That's it. You're d-doing great…"

Retsu glanced up at his older brother as he saw the fear in his eyes. Gou was shaking. He was crying. He was literally falling apart, and it was all his fault. The young man felt himself shatter. So many regrets, and it seemed as though he would no longer have the chance to fix them. If this was the end, then he at least needed his older brother to know one thing before he fell eternally silent.

Gou flinched as he felt a weak hand grasp the collar of his jacket. He looked down and met the puffy, red eyes of his little brother. He practically broke down at the mere sight of the hopelessness within Retsu's soft, brown eyes. Then, a small voice escaped the young man's lips as he used his last bit of strength to release his final message.

"I-I… l-love you… N-Nii-san… I-I'm so s-sorry…"

Then, the blue ranger released a long sigh before he went limp in the older man's arms. Gou's heart stopped. He looked down at the young man's pale face and felt like he was about to fall apart. He furiously grabbed his little brother's wrist and checked for a pulse, but found none.

'_No… no… Retsu… Retsu!'_

Gou screamed as he cradled the lifeless body in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably into his little brother's blue jacket. He didn't care who saw him. He didn't care if anybody saw him. The man just lost his damn brother. He had a fucking right to cry. As the violet ranger continued to sob he felt a hand firmly grasp his shoulder and a voice trying to get his attention. He jerked away. He didn't want to be touched. He wanted to be left alone. Alone, was that too much to ask for? However, the same hand grasped his shoulder again and made the older man look up.

Miki-san was leaning over the violet ranger, staring at him with stern, but smiling eyes. Then, the director smiled at him...

'_What the fucking hell!'_ He thought.

Just as the older man was about to mentally snap the kind woman raised her hand and stopped him from interrupting her before she spoke.

"Gou," the director spoke softly, "they did it."

The violet ranger's eyes grew wide as the words echoed through his mind.

"What," Gou gasped.

"They beat the RinJyuDen. Retsu's going to be alright."

"But… but,"

Then, Gou looked down at the young man before him, and saw the color of his skin slowly returning to normal. The sound of soothing breathes then escaped the blue ranger's pink lips and completely overjoyed and stunned the older man at the same time.

"H-How?!" He asked.

"Retsu had gone into a state of shock. That's why his body temporarily shut down. It was so that his body could completely extinguish the venom. It was just a sign that his body was recovering. Now it's all over. He's alright. The venom is gone," the kind woman concluded.

The violet ranger couldn't speak, but he didn't have to. He was overjoyed. Retsu was alive. The venom was gone. Gou couldn't stop the tears that fell from his face as he embraced his sleeping, little brother. He was so happy. He almost lost him. His baby brother, but now the nightmare was over. He was going to be alright. The older man ran his hand across Retsu's cheek, and smiled as he gazed at the content expression upon his brother's face. It was finally over.

Miki-san smiled as she left the older brother cradling the young man upon the sofa, before congratulating the others on a job well done.

Gou brushed his hand through the blue ranger's black locks, as Retsu's head rested upon his shoulder and his hand played with his silver, cross necklace. The two lied in bed, comforted by each other's presence, as the horrors of the day washed away.

When the others had returned from the battle, Retsu had completely woken up and was welcomed with a brutal group hug by everyone. The whole team was overjoyed that he was okay, and boasted about how they all had been so worried about him. Then, Ken and Jan ran out and got sushi for everybody, to celebrate Retsu's recovery. As well as his great accomplishment in overcoming his fear and defeating the RinJyuDen. The celebration was great. The look of Retsu alive and laughing brought relief to the violet ranger, however; the events from that day still left him a little shaken. The entire time they were celebrating Gou never left the young man's side. After coming so close to losing his little brother, the older man felt as though if he stepped too far away from Retsu then he would disappear into thin air. Of course, he was probably just being his usual over protective self, once again, but what do you expect from a guy who almost lost his little brother.

Gou released a long held sigh as he finally released the stress and tension from the long day.

"Maitaze, what a long day."

Retsu looked up at the older man, until his soft, brown eyes met the dark, cool ones of his older brother's. Then, he smiled.

"Yeah, it has been a long day. A long two days actually. I'm just glad it's all over and that I can finally talk without having to take a breath every two seconds."

The violet ranger chuckled.

"Nii-san, I'm sorry that I worried you so much. I should've told you about my fear sooner. I should've at least told you about how much it had affected me in battle. If I did then I never would've gotten poisoned, and then you would've never gotten so upset about almost losing me," Retsu sighed.

"It was your fault for not telling me," Gou responded, "but it was my fault for not taking action sooner. I knew that you were distressed, yet I did nothing to help."

"Nii-san, you pinned me to my bed and demanded me for an explanation after the first battle."

"Well, yeah, but you have to admit that was a little harsh right?"

"Kind of, but I knew you just concerned about me."

Gou sighed.

"Yeah, well, I should've protected you better during that battle yesterday."

"Yeah, because when you are struggling to stand up on your own two feet clearly you can take on a beast that's twice your size with ten times the fire power."

The violet ranger then glared at the sarcasm in the young man's voice, before Retsu sighed.

"Listen, Nii-san, the point of the matter is that none of this was your fault. Don't ever think it was. It's my fault for not telling you my problems. I just didn't want to seem as a burden, or an embarrassment, to you."

"Retsu, you could never be a burden to me. You are my brother. I love you, flaws and all."

The blue ranger smiled as his older brother tightened his grip around his shoulder.

"But, I swear to god, the next time you don't tell me when something is bothering you I'm gonna kill you."

"Alright, alright, I promise I won't ever do that again. Trust me, Nii-san, I've learned my lesson. I'd rather take embarrassment than a painful dosage of poison."

"Good."

Gou leaned down and kissed the top of his little brother's forehead before the two settled in the mass of sheets. No way in hell was the older man letting Retsu sleep alone tonight. Slowly, Gou let the feeling of sleep take over him. Retsu was about to doze off as well, when a familiar voice rose from the silence.

"So… you're afraid of bees," Gou grinned.

"Shut up Nii-san!" Retsu replied.

The older man laughed as the young man blushed from embarrassment.

"I'm just teasing you. Like I said, I love you, flaws and all."

"Yeah, yeah, just go to sleep already."

The violet ranger smiled before he rested his head against the soft, violet pillow.

"Goodnight Retsu."

Gou smiled as he felt Retsu nuzzle into the crook of his neck and relax his body.

"Good night, Nii-san."

**Whoop! Whoop! All done! Man, this took forever! This was a crazy idea that took a crazy long time to write. Let's not make it in vain folks! Please read and review. Yes, leave a little comment because I would love to finally get one of those for one of my stories. Well, another one that is. That would make two! Yes! Thanks! **


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